LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES THE SECOND SHOW OF ITS 99th SEASON! YOGA PLAY

August 29, 2019 - Laguna Beach, CA, Namaste. LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE presents the second show of its 99th season, the critically acclaimed San Francisco Playhouse production of YOGA PLAY, written by Dipika Guha and directed by Bill English.  Comments Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Executive Director Ellen Richard, “We are thrilled to bring the wonderful San Francisco Playhouse production of YOGA PLAY to Laguna Beach. Our subscribers and audiences are going to love Dipika Guha’s smart and funny comedy under the inspired direction of Bill English.”  YOGA PLAY begins previews on Wednesday, September 25; will open on Sunday, September 29 at 5:30pm and perform through Sunday, October 13, 2019 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive in Laguna Beach. 

At the top of their game, yoga apparel giant Jojomon is hit with a terrible scandal that sends them into freefall. Desperate to recover their earnings and reputation, newly hired CEO Joan stakes everything on an unlikely plan. YOGA PLAY lovingly and hysterically highlights the intersection between spirituality, commerce and comedy.    

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST 

DIPIKA GUHA (Playwright) was born in Calcutta & raised in South India, Russia and the United Kingdom. Her plays include Yoga Play (South Coast Rep, Moxie Theatre & SF Playhouse), The Art of Gaman (Theatre 503 London, Relentless Award semifinalist) and Unreliable (Upcoming: Kansas City Rep). Recent works includes Azaan, a play for Oregon Symphony Orchestra, In Braunau for Playwrights Horizons Theatre School, contributions to You Across From Me (Humana, Actors Theatre of Louisville) and Elizabeth for the McCarter Theatre’s Princeton and Slavery Project. Dipika’s current commissions include South Coast Rep, Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan, Barrington Stage and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She was a Hodder Fellow at the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, the inaugural Shakespeare’s Sister Playwriting Fellow with the Lark Play Development Center, A Room of Her Own and Hedgebrook and is a current Venturous Fellow for her play Passing. Dipika earned her undergraduate degree at University College London, a Frank Knox Fellowship from Harvard University and an M.F.A from the Yale School of Drama under Paula Vogel. For television she’s written for “American Gods,” “Paradise Lost,” “Sneaky Pete” and is currently writing for “Rainy Day People” at AMC. 

BILL ENGLISH (Director) is a co-founder and Artistic Director of San Francisco Playhouse, and in sixteen years with Susi Damilano, has guided its growth from a bare-bones storefront to the second-largest theatre in San Francisco. He designed the first theatre space at 536 Sutter Street and personally reconfigured a barn-like 700-seat hall to its currently gracious and intimate 199-seat venue. Along the way he has served as director, actor, set and sound designer, winning San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle nominations or awards in all those categories. Bill is also an accomplished musician and builder. Milestone accomplishments include bringing Pulitzer Prize-winner Stephen Adly Guirgis to the Bay Area by directing three of his plays, commissioning twelve playwrights including Theresa Rebeck, Aaron Loeb, Lauren Gunderson, Lauren Yee, and Christopher Chen.  

He has developed world premieres from workshops to Sandbox Series to Main Stage to Off-Broadway (including the New York productions of Ideation and Bauer), and presenting the very first production of Grounded by George Brant which later played at the Public Theatre. 

The cast of YOGA PLAY will feature: Bobak Bakhtiari, Susi Damilano, Joe Estlack, Ayelet Firstenberg and Ryan Morales.   

The YOGA PLAY design team will feature; Set Design by Nina Ball; Lighting Design by Mike Billings; Sound and Projection Design by Teddy Hulsker; Costume Design by Rachael Heiman; Wig Design by Laundra Tyme; Props Design by Jacquelyn Scott; Dialect Coach is Kimberly Mohne Hill. The Production Stage Manager is Vernon Willet.   

ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

YOGA PLAY begins previews on Wednesday, September 25; will open on Sunday, September 29 at 5:30pm and perform through Sunday, October 13, 2019 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive in Laguna Beach.  

Performances will be Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm & 5:30pm.

There will be added performances on Thursday, September 26 & Thursday, October 10 at 2pm & Tuesday, October 1 at 7:30pm.  There will be no performance on Sunday, September 29 at 1pm. There will be Talk-Backs following the performances on Saturday, October 5 at 2pm and Thursday, October 10 at 7:30pm.

Tickets range from $45 - $65 and can be purchased online at www.lagunaplayhouse.com or by calling (949) 497-ARTS (2787). Group discounts are available by calling 949-497-2787 ext. 229.  Prices subject to change.          

The box office is open Mondays – Saturdays: 11a.m. to 5p.m.; Sundays: 11a.m. – 4p.m. (open until showtime on all performance days).

For more information on all shows and programming visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.  LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is located at 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.     

To schedule press interviews, photos or press comps, please contact David Elzer/DEMAND PR at 818/508-1754 or by e-mail at davidelzer@me.com.             

Founded in 1920, the historic Laguna Playhouse is one of the oldest continuously-operating not-for-profit theatres on the West Coast and is proud to be an active participant in the celebrated Laguna Beach arts community. From classic plays and musical comedies to the current off-Broadway smash, cutting edge and traditional music exhibitions, dance festivals and stand-up comedy performances, Laguna Playhouse brings the magical experience of the performing arts direct to over 100,000 patrons each season. 

Laguna Playhouse educational programming includes year-round classes, productions by and for children and teens (Youth Theatre) and is one of the few companies in the region that offer a curriculum-based professional theatre-touring program, TheatreReach, which aligns with the California State Standards for literature, history and performing arts curriculum. 

Laguna Playhouse has been recognized in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 as one of Orange County Register’s “Best of OC” in the category of Live Theatre. The Laguna Playhouse has featured many talented performers on stage, including Ed Asner, Leslie Caron, Hershey Felder, Melanie Griffith, Val Kilmer, Gregory Harrison, Dan Lauria, Hal Linden, Wendie Malick, Rita Rudner, Charles Shaughnessy, French Stewart, Loretta Swit, and Bette Davis. 

Learn What’s Going On at www.lagunaplayhouse.com.

Calendar Listing:
YOGA PLAY
Written by Dipika Guha
Directed by Bill English

Previews Begin: Wednesday, September 25 at 7:30pm 
Opens: Sunday, September 29 at 5:30pm
Runs: Sunday, September 29 – Sunday, October 13, 2019

Performances will be Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm & 5:30pm.
There will be added performances on Thursday, September 26 & Thursday, October 10 at 2pm & Tuesday, October 1 at 7:30pm. 
There will be no performance on Sunday, September 29 at 1pm.
There will be Talk-Backs following the performances on Saturday, October 5 at 2pm and Thursday, October 10 at 7:30pm. 

LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE
606 Laguna Canyon Rd. in Laguna Beach, CA  

Tickets: $45.00 - $65.00

For tickets – visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com or call 949-497-2787